


The-NoiseMaker shorts

by coldphoenix



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Clay - Freeform, Gen, Hallow!Gaster, The-NoiseMaker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-09 10:03:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11102241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldphoenix/pseuds/coldphoenix
Summary: A collection of one-shots written by me, featuring The-NoiseMaker's Hallow!Gaster and Clay.





	1. Happy Halloween

**Author's Note:**

> I first wrote this for Halloween 2016 to go with this incredible image:-  
> http://the-noisemaker.deviantart.com/art/Doctor-Determination-Hallow-Gaster-641086170  
> by The-Noisemaker. I just… I saw this picture and I had a huge huge urge to write this Gaster, so this was the result :D  
> Enjoy!

_In the middle of the Waterfall sector of the Underground, a human child came across a grey door. Not knowing what was behind it, the child curiously opened the door and stepped inside…_

__

~~~~~

_Slam_. The human child jumped as the door slammed shut behind them, trapping them in this room. It was pitch black. The child became unnerved. Something didn’t feel right here… There was a presence. A strange one, unsettling enough to wipe the determination from your soul and make you run home. It was so dark in here… Weren’t there any windows? How could anybody stay here?

There was somebody here. The child could feel… it. They waited for their eyes to adjust to the darkness, but there was nothing to see. It was just black, everywhere. Black, and completely… chillingly silent. Until…

_Hiss_. The child flinched, letting out a sharp gasp as a gust of wind blew past their neck. What was that? The presence was getting stronger… What the hell? The child’s heart started racing. They wanted to leave. They had to – oh… crap! They could hear breathing. It was coming from all around, as if the room itself were alive. This was crazy! What was this place? What was going on? They had to get out!

The human child turned to run for the door, only to find it had… vanished. What? Where was the door? They looked around frantically, trying to see anything through the never-ending darkness. Nothing. There was nothing. Panic-stricken, they raced around the room with their arms out, trying desperately to feel for a wall or a door or a way out… There was nothing. How big was this room? No matter how far they ran the child wasn’t hitting any walls. It was like they were running through oblivion. The breathing was growing louder, and heavier. The presence was growing stronger. Oh, no… Oh no, oh no! Help!  
“Help!” The child cried. “Help! **Help me**!”  
“Oh… come now.” 

The child froze, paralysed by the sound of another’s voice. There was someone here… The breathing had stopped. It was the human’s own breathing that they could hear now. It was deep and heavy, hoarsened in fear. Who was that…? They could hear footsteps. Heavy, echoing footsteps. It was coming from behind them… “Do turn around.” 

The child was terrified. What should they do? Was this the presence? What did it want? Was it going to kill them…? “Oh, I’m sure you have many concerns.” The voice spoke again, as if it could read the child’s mind. “Hindsight is 20-20, so they say. Perhaps in future, you will not walk carelessly through troublesome doors?” Who was this…? _What_ was this…? “Please. Show me your face, Little One.” The human remained still. They didn’t want to do it. They didn’t want to turn around and see it. For some reason… they were afraid. “Now, now.” The voice continued. “Do not disobey me, please. I have a certain dis-tolerance for disobedience most dissatisfying.” What? What the hell were they talking about? Was dis-tolerance even a word? “I shan’t ask you again.” It spoke. Its voice was calm. This whole time its voice had been so calm. It didn’t sound annoyed – maybe it even sounded friendly. Until… “ _ **Turn around**_!”

The human screamed, terrified beyond imagination as the presence’s voice rang through the room like a siren, shrieking so horrifically in all directions. Before the child knew it their body was being spun around by an unseen force, and they were finally made to lay their eyes upon this presence. It was… … a man…?

It looked like a man… Sort of. Was this a skeleton…? ‘He’ was dressed so old-fashioned. He was leaning on a cane, and he wore a top hat and a Victorian-style vest. Around his waist he wore a belt which seemed to contain… vials? Vials of liquid… What were those things? What did he use them for…? His eyes were odd; one half open and the other wide. He had fractures upon his face, like living in here had started to erode his very being. He bore a wide, maniacal grin and his teeth… The human’s heart stopped. On his teeth… there was blood. “Ah.” The figure spoke, his grin widening further as he gazed excitedly upon the human, as if they were prey. “Now, that’s better.” ‘He said. “Much better indeed.” 

He took a step towards the human, his cane tapping against the ground as he walked. It echoed all around the room, surrounding the human with its eerie sound. _Tap. Tap. Tap_ … and those footsteps. Those terrifying footsteps. “Do excuse the mess, I haven’t been particularly careful with the housekeeping as of late.” The man said, gesturing towards the black nothingness with his hand. His… bony, broken hand. Each of his hands had a gaping hole, straight though the middle of them. What had happened to him…? “These curtains are awfully dated.”  
“What… curtains…?” The human child mumbled, cautiously looking around at the empty black room.  
“Precisely.” The man replied, his pupils twinkling. “I burned them. It’s the best way to expose of mess, in my experience. They are one hundred per cent silk, you know. Much more flammable than bones.”  
“Um…” The child swallowed. “O-Okay…” Who the hell was this guy? He was insane!  
“Well!” The man exclaimed. “It’s not often we get guests, particularly not ones so… beautiful, and… … delicious…” He smirked wickedly at the child, gazing at them with lecherous eyes and he ran his slimy tongue across his bloodied fangs. “Tell me… what blood type are you? You see, I have a mild allergy to AB positive.”  
“I – I’m AB positive!” The child gasped, their breathing becoming heavy with fright. Was this man… a _vampire_? A skeleton vampire?  
“Oh no no, you most certainly are not.” The man frowned, waving his finger in disapproval. “Now now. I know a scent when I smell it, and you, my child…” His eyes twinkled again as he gazed at the child, and he quietly chuckled to himself. “You have the _o_ dour of O… _Ahahahahaha_!” 

The man began cackling wildly, his head tilting to the side and his pupils pointing at the ceiling as if he had gone mad. The child whimpered, their body trembling and their eyes glistening in fear as the very sight of this terrified them to their core.  
“P-Please…” They uttered weakly. “Let me go.”  
“Go? _Go_?” The man gasped, his maniacal laughter immediately halting. His head returning to look at the child, a shocked expression upon his face. “But you haven’t even had a cup of tea – _Maid_!” He called into the darkness. “Bring our guest a cup of tea!”  
“No thank you, I –”  
“Oh, _**nonsense**_.” The man hissed viciously, his eyes glowing in anger as he glared at the child. “You are my guest and you will have a cup of tea!” He threw his hand out to the child, as if he were offering something. “Now, drink up!” Then, he suddenly paused, seeming to catch himself. He let out a short gasp, and then he cleared his throat… and he offered the human a warm smile. “I am sorry for my outburst, how terrible rude of me. You must think I am such a terrible host… You see, it’s not often I get visitors. I suppose I am rather unpractised. I do hope it hasn’t spoiled our evening?”  
“N-No…” The child whimpered. Oh God, this guy was insane… “Please, just… just let me –”  
“Thank you for understanding!” The man grinned. “Now…” He held out his hand once again. “Here. Before it gets cold.”

The child stared down at the man’s empty hand, which was positioned as if it were holding something. What the hell…? Was that supposed to be… an imaginary cup of tea? What did the man expect them to do…? “Oh!” The man gasped. “I’m sorry, she never asked you, did she? You will have to excuse my maid. She’s new, but delightful company – oh don’t be so bashful, Dear!” He smiled to his side, quite clearly talking to the dark nothingness that was there. Where he seemed to think there was a person… “What she should have asked was, do you take sugar?” The man smiled at the human, and eagerly awaited their response.  
“… No.” The human answered.  
“Well, marvellous! I don’t like them too sweet.” The man beamed. “Here you are, then.”

The human stared at the man’s hand. What were they supposed to…? Should they just…? Okay… The human reached out, as if they were taking an imaginary cup of tea. They positioned their hand as if they were holding it, and raised the imaginary cup to their lips…  
“ **Ahh** – _cough_!” The human cried out in shock when they felt a warm liquid against their tongue, and as soon as they cried out they started to cough as if they were choking on tea.  
“Oh – oh my! Are you alright?” The man gasped. “Did she make it too strong?”  
“I – I can taste it!” The child wailed, their eyes widening as they started at the man. “What did you do! Where am I!”  
“Why, you are here, of course.” The man smiled.  
“Where’s here?”  
“Well, it’s… it’s neither here nor there.” The man said. “But it’s better than being… _**everywhere**_!”

His voice thundered around the room, so powerfully it created a wild gust of wind that surrounded the human, blowing through their hair and almost freezing them with its coldness. The human tried to scream, but their scream was drowned out by the overwhelming roaring of the wind and the man’s great, booming voice. It surrounded them… It was so loud it almost rendered the child deaf. The human was terrified. Their heart was racing; what did he want! What was he! The human had to go. He had to run! “Did he tell you to beware of the man that speaks in hands?” The man’s thunderous voice echoed all through the never-ending blackness of the room. “I did always adore speaking in hands – human hands!”  
“ _ **Ahh**_!” The human screamed as a vision of six pairs of severed hands appeared before them, blood still dripping off them as if they had been freshly hacked from their arms.  
“If only I had another pair, I could spell my name!” The man howled. “Pardon me for asking, but you wouldn’t happen to know my name?”  
“ _ **No**_!” The child wailed, scrunching their eyes shut. “Please! Let me go!”  
“You see, it gets terribly lonely in here… One can easily lose themselves.” The man continued on, the whirling of the wind growing louder with every word he spoke. The human opened their eyes, but the sight was so terrifying they closed them again. The severed hands were spiralling around the man; his pupils glowing brightly, blood dripping from his fangs… “Do you know how long I have been here? Do you even know who I am? If you could just tell me, it would be a terrible help…”  
“No!” The child screamed, tears streaming from their frightened eyes. “Please! Go away!”  
“Go away? _Go away_?” The man repeated. “But my child – I was here first! It is you who should go away! Although, I do hope you don’t… For I do have a fondness for type O blood, and I am so _terribly_ thirsty…”  
“ _ **Ahhhhh**_!” The child screamed, their eyes snapping open. They had to get out of here! Otherwise they were going to die! That thought alone filled them with determination. They pushed past their fear, and they started to run.

They ran for what felt like miles, screaming and yelling, with the man’s maniacal laughter following them all the way. The wind kept growing louder, the laughter kept drawing closer and closer no matter how fast the child ran. They could feel the severed hands grabbing them; they could feel the warm breath of a horrific presence touching their skin. They thought they were going to die. They couldn’t find the door. There was just black nothingness, going on and on until… there it was. The door!  
“Oh, won’t you stay for tea?”  
“ _ **Help**_!” The child screamed as they bolted through the door, just as the man’s voice echoed right above their head. They slammed the door shut behind them, locking the man inside before he even got a chance to follow them out.

As soon as the door shut, the room fell silent. The man stood there alone, the severed hands completely vanished, and he stared at the door.  
“… Oh, Dear.” He sighed. “I think I overdid it. I didn’t want to frighten the children with this costume…”  
“Oh but Darling, it’s Halloween…” A silky female voice came from behind him, and the man smiled as he felt a warm, delicate hand on his shoulder. “If you can’t scare them today, then when can you?”  
“My love, you are cruel.” The man answered. He turned around to face her, the woman he had imagined he was talking to before. She was still wearing her maid outfit, on top of a slender frame decorated with black lips and empty black eyes. She was The Void, and she was beautiful. “But then… why else would you have trapped me here, for so long?”  
“How long?” She asked him.  
“… I rather hoped the child would tell me.” The man replied, and his pupils dimmed in sorrow. “But they… they didn’t seem all that keen to talk to me. I cannot at all think why.”  
“Hm.” The woman smirked, taking hold of his hand. She wiped the blood off his fangs, and softly chuckled. “It’s a mystery, my sweet. Maybe next year we should dress as the king and queen, I’m sure they’d show you more respect then.”  
“What a wonderful idea!” The man beamed. “I must make a note of that.” He felt around his clothing for a pen, but found that he had none. “Um… do you have a pen, my dear?”  
“I’ll remember for you.” She replied.  
“Oh – thank you, very much!” The man exclaimed most gratefully.  
“You’re welcome.” The woman smiled. “Now… back to your madness, Doctor.”  
“Oh! Oh yes, of course!” The man nodded enthusiastically, and offered his hand to her, his fingers positioned as if he were holding something. “I’m sorry, I’ve neglected you so much with our guest arriving, and it’s your favourite night of the year – would you like a glass of champagne, my darling?”  
“Well, it is Halloween.” The woman purred, taking the imaginary glass from his hand. She raised it to her lips, and smiled at him. “Happy Halloween, Doctor.”  
“Yes…” The man nodded, smiling black at the black nothingness before him. “Happy Halloween.”


	2. Hello Clay!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short narrative featuring Clay, an OC by TheNoiseMaker. I saw him and couldn’t resist writing his creepiness.  
> I’ve put him with Hallow!Gaster, an AU Gaster that Noise made for Halloween last year. I did a one-shot narrative for him at the time, so it made sense to write them together. I hope they go well together ^_^ I love these OCs!

The door opened, and closed again… and the human child found themselves in total darkness. They inhaled, and held their breath for a few seconds. Okay… no need to be afraid. They were stronger than him. They didn’t need to be afraid of him.

The child had been here before; at Halloween last year. They’d come into this room, not knowing what to expect… but never in all their wildest fantasies could they have imagined that. That man… Was he even a man? He’d sounded male. He’d looked… terrifying. He was crazy. To this day the human believed that monster had wanted their life. He hadn’t taken it, though. The human had escaped. Now they were here… again. To prove that they weren’t afraid.

They looked around the darkness, searching for any sign that he was here. The human didn’t even know what to call him; he’d never told them his name. The human had come to refer to him as Mad Doctor. He’d seemed like some kind of doctor or scientist, with all those vials on his belt… with that unidentified liquid inside. Where was he…? Come on, come on…   
“Show yourself.” The human whispered. The doctor was here somewhere. The human could feel it. They weren’t alone…

_Clank_! The human jumped, letting out a sharp gasp as a sound came from up ahead, somewhere amidst the darkness. It sounded like something breaking.   
“Oh! Fiddlesticks…” Someone sounded annoyed. The human swallowed, they breathing quickening. It was him. The human recognised his voice. Mad Doctor. “Just a moment!” The voice echoed through the darkness. “Just let me clear this mess, I am terribly sorry. You startled me, you see… Please! Take a seat. I must just make us some more tea.” The voice grew louder as the human walked towards it. They couldn’t deny it… they were terrified. This guy was insane. This guy was dangerous. But… the human was determined to face their fears.

They kept walking, for what seemed like far too long. It was endless darkness; the voice hadn’t sounded far away, but even after minutes of walking the human still couldn’t see him. Then… an outline. The silhouette of a figure started to emerge, finally something other than endless black. Slowly, he came into view… Mad Doctor. 

The doctor looked up, and let out a sharp gasp. “Oh!” He cried, seemingly startled by the human. “No – no, this will never do! You are a guest, I can’t have you standing there like a maid! Sit down, would you?” He gestured with his hand, and the human followed his movements… he was pointing at nothing. Literally. There was nothing there. “Please – have my seat. The others are soiled, you see…” He closed his eyes, and sighed. “Between you and me…” He leaned towards the human, and whispered, “ _He likes to pull himself apart_.” He moved away, and continued… sweeping? It looked like he was sweeping, but there was no brush… and no mess. “It’s how he sees, you see.” Mad Doctor explained, and chuckled. “You see, me see… how wonderful it is to see!”

The human just stared at him, becoming unnerved. This guy was nuts… What were they doing here? Why had they come back? It was such a bad decision…  
“Who…” The human mumbled. “Who do you mean…?”  
“Oh, um…” Mad Doctor opened his mouth to answer, before frowning. “You aren’t sitting down.” He commented. “Well – you can have his seat, if you like…” He looked away, and raised his brow. “If you’re partial to that sort of thing. I don’t see the appeal myself.” He continued his imaginary sweeping, with a snippy look on his face. “Perhaps it’s my generation. When I was your age, we sat upon clean chairs. I suppose you all sit on clay mounds now, do you? Or can it be any sort of crafts material?” He chuckled. “You youngsters, I don’t know…” Then, his face turned solemn. He let out a sharp gasp, and a small moan, as if he were in pain. “Oh…” He groaned, his face twisting in agony. “I wish I didn’t know…”  
“Know… what?” The human uttered. That was strange. It seemed to be getting… darker. What the hell? How? It was pitch black in here; it couldn’t possibly get darker! But… the atmosphere. The atmosphere was changing… All of a sudden, the human felt terribly afraid…  
“Ah!” Mad Doctor exclaimed, offering the human a wide grin. “Now – that is something you do not need to know. He isn’t real, you see. You shouldn’t get yourself worked up over him. It can make you lose your mind.” He paused again, his face turning solemn once more. “… and your wife.”

The human watched as Mad Doctor continued sweeping for a moment more, and he finally seemed to finish. “Now!” Mad Doctor huffed, standing up proudly, admiring his clean floor. “I must make you a cup of tea. Do you take water?”   
“… Yes.” The human nodded. Oh – wait! What kind of water? “No!” He quickly cried. “I mean – no. I… I’m not thirsty, thank you.”   
“… Oh.” Mad Doctor uttered. “Well, I… I’ve never known a guest to… I can’t get you anything at all?”   
“No thank you.” The human smiled. “I’m good.”   
“Oh… don’t let him hear you say that.” Mad Doctor warned. “He likes the good ones. Very tasty, he says. Bad souls are terribly cruel to the digestive system.”   
“Who…?” The human asked.   
“Oh, he isn’t real.” Mad Doctor chuckled. “Don’t worry about him. Only I can see him. I’m very ill, you see. Delusions. I see him all the time, but you won’t. Now.” He smiled at the human. “Let me get you that tea. Black, did you say? With milk? Coming right up.”   
“Wait –” The human cried out as Mad Doctor started to turn around, but it was too late. Within seconds he’d vanished into the darkness.

The human looked around, shivering. Suddenly, it was very cold in here. The darkness was increasing; it was as if the whole room was alive. No… that was crazy. It was just Mad Doctor, doing weird stuff to the atmosphere. This other guy wasn’t real, the human believed that. Mad Doctor was crazy; nothing he said could be trusted. So… why did the human feel like he wasn’t alone? Fuck… They wanted to get out of here. Which way was the door? They felt confused… They couldn’t see the way out. They couldn’t remember how they’d come in. Had they turned, or was it just one straight line…? This was what happened last time. Getting lost, and not being able to find the way out… it was different now, though. Mad Doctor didn’t seem to want to hurt the human. So… why could the human sense… danger? They were so afraid…

_Whoosh_! The human gasped, spinning around as a cold breeze caught them, blowing though their hair and nipping at their legs. What was that…? “H-Hello…?” The human called weakly into the everlasting black.   
“Oh – yes, I’m still here!” Mad Doctor’s voice answered. It sounded distant. “Don’t worry about him. He’s not real. If he kills you, I am sure nobody else will know. He isn’t real, you see.”   
“Nobody will know…?” The human repeated. What did that mean…?  
“No, nobody! Only real bodies can be found.” Mad Doctor answered. “And he isn’t real. Still, it wouldn’t make much of a difference. He’d eat you, you see. So there would be no body either way.” He chuckled. “Not that you have to worry about that. I have to worry about him. Not you.”   
“What –”

The human stopped dead. They could hear… something. Shuffling. It was coming from behind them. It was drawing nearer…  
_“Not real.”_ A chilling voice spoke. Fuck, it was **right** behind them!   
“Get away!” The human cried, spinning round. They stopped, and frowned. There was nothing there… It was just black. The human sighed, somewhat relieved. Maybe Mad Doctor was right. Maybe he was delusional, and this other person wasn’t real. Maybe the human had just imagined –

_Pat pat pat_! The human’s heart stopped. There was a sound – above them this time. More shuffling.   
_“Not real…”_ The voice spoke again. It wasn’t Mad Doctor…  
“H-Hello?” The human whimpered. They looked up, to nothing. It was just eternal black… they couldn’t even see the ceiling. What the hell…?   
_“Not. **Real**.”_  
“Ahh!” The human cried out, jumping as a voice came from behind them. Their heart was racing; they’d never felt so scared. They looked around frantically, searching for… anything! Anything at all! Whatever it was that was speaking! Then, amidst the darkness… Oh fuck. Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck! The human panted loudly, their breathing turning rapid. There was a figure there. Or… an outline of a figure. It looked like a man. It had a mouth, and… teeth. The human couldn’t tell; it was just a whiteness on the creature’s face. Were they teeth? Or was that its mouth…? The human couldn’t see its eyes. It had its hands on its face, covering them. What was it doing…?  
“Not real…” The creature breathed. “I’m not real…” It didn’t move. It didn’t walk, or move at all… but it was coming closer. Crap! The human child took a step back, and gasped, their eyes widening in fright. They’d hit a wall. Out of nowhere, there was a wall. That wasn’t there before… Oh, **fuck**. There was no way out. “Not… real.” The creature spoke, its mouth not moving as it drew nearer. “Not real.” Then… “ **Boo**!”  
“ _ **Ahhhhhhhh**_!” The human let out a loud, blood-curdling scream as the creature scraped its fingers down its face, ripping off its own flesh to reveal a hundred bright red eyes, each one of them staring maniacally at the human. Then the eyes brightened, and the creature suddenly jumped at the human with its white mouth open, but the human ducked down and ran off to the side. “ **Help**!” They screamed as they ran through the darkness as fast as they could, the footsteps of the creature thudding close behind them. They could hear its breathing. They could hear it laughing. It was chasing them! “Help!”   
“Now now, what is all this noise!” Mad Doctor frowned, stepping out from the depths of the endless darkness.   
“What is it!” The human demanded, coming to a stop in front of him. “What is that thing!”   
“Oh…” Mad Doctor looked past the human, as if searching for their chaser. “… Well, I have no idea, Child. I can’t see anything there at all.”   
“What…?” The human mumbled, and turned around. It was gone… There was no sign of it at all! But it had been right behind them! They’d heard it chasing them…  
“Dear, oh dear. What a lot of fuss.” Mad Doctor sighed. “Now…”

He looked up at the human, and offered a smile. “Here. A good cup of tea will calm you down.” He held out his hand, his fingers positioned as if they were gripping something. There was nothing there.   
“… Thanks.” The human mumbled, pretending to take the imaginary cup.   
“You still won’t sit down, I see.” Mad Doctor commented. “Well. It’s your legs that will give way. You’ll need them for running. Unless you want him to eat you, of course. Then you’re better off without legs, they’re terribly bony.”   
“Who?” The human demanded. “What is he!”   
“Oh… just a figment of my imagination.” Mad Doctor replied, waving a hand. “You needn’t worry about him.” He raised his hand, gesturing for the human to calm themselves. He had a hole in his palm; the human remembered that from last time. The human looked at the hole in his palm, and suddenly…  
“ **Ahh**!” The human cried out and jumped back in fright when the red eyes appeared in the hole, and out from behind Mad Doctor stepped the creature. It grinned widely at the human, and licked its white lips.   
“ _Real_.” It spoke.   
“Get away!” The human screamed, throwing their hands out in fear. As soon as they opened out their hand, the sound of something breaking echoed through the darkness, and Mad Doctor scoffed in annoyance.   
“Oh – look what you’ve done now, you’ve startled them!” He scolded, frowning at the creature. “That was my best cup, I hope you can replace it! And not with your body parts, please!” He stopped the creature as it began to claw at its own midsection, pulling out what looked like… clay? Was that clay? Was that what it was made of…?

Mad Doctor sighed. “Go and get the brush, would you? You most certainly are a terrible guest. If only I could get my medication, you would be gone for good!”   
“But he…” The human uttered. “He’s real.”   
“No no, the doctor assured me he was not.” Mad Doctor replied. “Although that didn’t stop her! He’ll take your wife, he – … oh…” He whimpered, his tone changing. He started to tremble, seemingly afraid as the creature leaned towards him. It opened its mouth, and poked out its tongue… The human watched in horror as it ran its purple tongue up Mad Doctor’s face, causing him to shake in fright. “Please…” He whispered. “Just let me be. You said if I let you eat the guests, you would leave us…”  
“Eat… the guests…?” The human choked. Mad Doctor looked at him, with a saddened expression upon his face.   
“I am terribly sorry…” He uttered sincerely. “I think you’d better run.”   
“ **Real**!”  
“ _ **Ahhhhhhh**_!”

The human screamed, and ran from the creature as it lunged at him. They ran as fast as they could, through the everlasting darkness. The glowing red eyes were everywhere, appearing one by one all over the darkness. The human could hear the creature’s manic laughing behind them. They could hear it running; they could hear in breathing behind but the eyes were **everywhere**. Left, right, above, below; it was never-ending! There were no walls; there was no ceiling. It was just endless black that went on and on, until the human started to feel exhausted. Their chest was stinging; their legs were aching. They couldn’t keep running… They could hear the creature drawing nearer and nearer. Oh no… oh no!   
“Boo!”   
“ **Ahh**!” The human child cried out when they felt a warm wetness against their legs; it the creature’s tongue. That was it. That single touch gave them a jolt of adrenaline and they leapt forward as fast as they could, using all the determination in their soul… and they found themselves landing outside the room. They were back in the corridor, in front of the closed door to that darkness. They panted breathlessly, looking around with wide eyes. No… it wasn’t here. The creature hadn’t come through. They were… safe. Okay… Okay. They took a breath, and as soon as they had enough air in their lungs to move they wasted no time in running away.

Back in the enteral darkness of the room, the creature stared at the closed door, sighing in disappointment.   
“Did you get them, Clay?” Mad Doctor asked, coming up beside it.   
“Nah.” Clay answered sulkily. “They escaped.” He looked down at Mad Doctor, and sniggered. “Too bad you’re all bones.”   
“She likes it.” Mad Doctor replied. “She loves my soul. We are in love, you cannot take her from me! I know what you’re trying to do!”   
“Doc, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Clay answered. “There’s nobody here.”   
“Don’t you try to deny it!” Mad Doctor barked. “You may be a figment of my imagination, but I know you’ve been seeing my wife! She isn’t interested, you know! She’ll use you! She’ll use you to build us a home!”   
“You’re crazy.” Clay stated. “And I am real.” He made his way towards the door. “I’m going to Grillby’s. Gaster, do you want anything?”   
“My medication!” Mad Doctor cried. “To banish you!”   
“Whatever…” Clay mumbled, and left the room.

Mad Doctor looked around, trembling in the darkness. Where was she…? Where was she! Had he taken her with him? Or worse, had he…?   
“Darling.” A silky female voice echoed through the darkness, and Mad Doctor let out a relieved sigh when the figure of a woman emerged. Yes, there she was. Safe and sound. She was The Void. She was his one true love. “He really doesn’t know who I am.” She spoke. “I appear only to you.”   
“Yes… Yes, of course.” Mad Doctor smiled. “Of course, my dear. He cannot see you.” He chuckled. “He isn’t real.” He wandered off into the darkness, and began to sweep the imaginary broken cup off the imaginary marble tiles.


	3. Gift - Happy Birthday, Noise!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a birthday gift for The-NoiseMaker. Sorry it's late... I didn't realise it was your birthday until the day OTL So I kind of rushed this... I hope that doesn't come across much. But I know you always liked how I use dialogue with your characters, so I hope this is okay :) Anyway!  
> Happy belated birthday, Noise! Stay cool!  
> *(Also, I know I made Clay more patient than usual... but I remember once you said you're the only person he wouldn't eat, so I took some artistic license and figured that even if he doesn't normally concentrate or hold back, he maybe would for his mama <3)

Well… the human child was here again, in this strange place. They’d been here twice before, and both times they had almost been killed. So why had they come back? Truthfully, they didn’t know. Maybe it was just their determination. Maybe they were adamant to save the two troubled souls that lived here. Or… maybe it was something else. Something more sinister. Maybe the human child wasn’t choosing to come here after all. Maybe they were being controlled… Either way, they were here now.

The room was in complete darkness again; the child could barely see. But they could hear… they could hear someone wittering to themselves, as if they were listing things to do. The human child remained perfectly still, but yet they found themselves moving closer to the voice. Further into the darkness. Further away from the door behind them, which had surely disappeared by now. Closer to him…  
“Oh!” The monster the human had come to know as Mad Doctor appeared out of nowhere, causing the child to shriek and jump back, startled by his sudden image. “Oh – there you are!” Mad Doctor exclaimed. “Well good heavens, I… I forgot I invited you.” His face flushed slightly; he seemed embarrassed. He wiped his hands on his… apron. He was wearing an apron, on top of his unusual clothes. Did he still have those vials around his belt…? The human child couldn’t see, but they didn’t want to. They didn’t want to think about what was in them, or what this mad scientist used them for… “And you have arrived just at the right time – oh, what a good guest you are.” The doctor continued. “I… I’m terribly sorry. We’re very busy you see – I suppose in my haste I forgot to uninvite you…” He let out a sharp gasp, as if he’d just realised he’d said something bad. “No no – not to say you aren’t perfectly welcome here! Please, do remain standing.”  
“Uh… okay.” The human mumbled. “But you… didn’t invite me.”  
“What? But I… I don’t understand.” Mad Doctor replied. “I sent the invites out in good time, I asked Clay to post them for me…” Then… his face fell. “Oh… _bother_!” He huffed. “He’s eaten them, hasn’t he? I told him not to – I **knew** I shouldn’t have made them out of good beef! But you see, there’s no paper around here, I had to make do.” He approached the human, and leaned forwards slightly, his hands tensed in front of him as if to emphasise the desperation of his situation. “I stamped them with a button – the finest money can buy! I took the buttons from my mother’s petticoat, I cannot tell you why.” He turned away and ran his hand over his head, moaning sorrowfully. “Oh…” He groaned. “I do hope she forgives me…”

The human paused, well and truly disturbed. This was a bad idea. Coming here was **always** a bad idea.  
“I should go –”  
“Nonsense!” Mad Doctor exclaimed, turned to face the human with an enthusiastic grin upon his face. “I need you to help me!”

He tightened his apron around his waist and approached the human, his hands positioned as if he were holding a bowl. “If you wouldn’t mind, it would be terribly good of you to stir the cake mixture for me. I have so much to do, you see.”  
“But…” Without really thinking about what they were doing, the human opened out their hands to receive the imaginary bowl, and Mad Doctor grinned at them gratefully.  
“Thank you! Here, let me just…” He reached into the pocket of his apron, and pulled out… nothing. There was nothing in his hands, although he seemed to think there was. “It’s always handy to carry spare eggs. It saves you going to get them from the pantry. Now…” He held his hands above the humans, and motioned as if he were cracking the eggs against the bowl…

_Crack_. The human flinched at the sound. There was nothing there; they weren’t holding anything and neither was Mad Doctor, but… still there was the sound of eggs being cracked. How did that happen…? “If you wouldn’t mind, just whisking the mixture for me? I would be terribly grateful.”  
“Sure…” The human mumbled. They moved their hand to grab at the air, as if they were holding an imaginary whisk… and they started to stir.  
“Wonderful!” Mad Doctor beamed, clasping his hands together in delight. “You are ever so kind! I’m terribly sorry I haven’t time to make you a cup of tea, I hope you don’t mind?”  
“No.” The human answered. “It’s okay.”  
“Well then… I must just go and preheat the oven, and lay the table and arrange the buffet and hang the decorations… so many things to do! We should have started earlier, but you see… Clay ate my alarm clock.” Mad Doctor explained. “The terrible inconvenience that he is.”  
“Who’s Clay?” The human questioned, not recognising the name.  
“Oh, well I sent him to do the balloons.” Mad Doctor replied. He lowered his voice slightly, and leaned into the human. “Between you and me…” He whispered. “It was just to keep him out of my way – I can’t let him near the buffet. No, heaven forbid. There would be nothing left for the guests.” Mad Doctor sighed. “It’s an awful strain, living with him… now that he is real, after all. Oh yes, very real… tragically so…” He closed his eyes, and his face fell sorrowfully, as if he were about to weep. “But, we soldier on.” He waved a dismissive hand, and turned away, his grief seemingly disappearing from his soul. “Now, excuse me. So many things to do…” He wandered off into the darkness, leaving the human there alone. 

They looked around, unsure of whether they should leave. Something told them they should. They should go now, while they had the chance… but they couldn’t. They were determined to stay, and face these monsters. That monster… The human shivered as they remembered it. Last time they were here, they met such a terrifying thing. It had tried to eat the human! It looked like a man, with giant teeth and glowing red eyes, and its body made out of… clay. Clay… Clay! That was who Clay was! It was that thing! Immediately, the human became scared, but they refused to leave. They hadn’t just come here for Mad Doctor, they had come for Clay as well. They had to face it… and save its soul. 

_Ping_! The human jumped, unnerved at the sound of an alarm. What was that…? “Oh – just a minute, that’s the oven.” Mad Doctor’s voice came through the darkness, drawing nearer and nearer… “Now just – **stop it**! What have I told you about the buffet? Just keep away, and you’ll get your reward.”  
“Hungry **now**.” A second voice came from the darkness. The human recognised it; it was a voice they would never forget for as long as they lived. It was him… It was Clay.  
“Yes well, you’ll get your reward if you leave the buffet – **stop**!” _Smack_!  
“Ow!”  
“Yes, well… I am very sorry, but you left me no choice. Now come away would you, and bring me those balloons.”

Mad Doctor’s voice drew nearer, and he emerged through the darkness… followed by that thing. The human’s heart stopped. They froze in fear as they looked at it. Those teeth… That sinister grin. Clay was facing them. Grinning at them. He was drooling…  
“Reward…” Clay spoke.  
“There will be no reward if you don’t get on with those balloons!” Mad Doctor huffed. He approached the human, and took back the imaginary bowl, marvelling at the human’s work. “Oh - - this is wonderful! Clay, would you look? What a lovely mixture…” He moved over to Clay, and Clay looked down at the empty space between Mad Doctor’s hands… and he grinned. He could see something; something the human could not. Something that Mad Doctor could see… how…? With his grin widening, Clay extended his tongue. “No!” Mad Doctor barked, smacking his tongue away. “Oh – you are such a nuisance! What will become of your mother’s birthday party if you’ve eaten her cake?”  
“… Mama.” Clay uttered.  
“Yes. Quite. Now, just… wait there – and don’t eat anything, if you can manage it.” Mad Doctor frowned, and went to crouch down in front of… nothing, again. It was nothing, but the human was certain the alarm had come from over there. _Creak_! There was a sound, as if a door was opening as Mad Doctor pulled at the air, and put the imaginary bowl inside… was it supposed to be an oven? “Thirty minutes should do – plenty of time! Now. The balloons, Clay. Quickly!”

The human watched as Clay placed his hands on his chest, and started… ripping himself apart. Literally… He was tearing off great chunks of himself, but he wasn’t bleeding. He didn’t even seem hurt. The wounds healed over as soon as they were made, and he tore away more and more of his flesh. Was it really flesh…? Was it… clay? As he tore at himself, he let the pieces go. They didn’t fall, though. Not like they should have. Instead, they extended, and floated up into the darkness like balloons. How…? How was that happening…?  
“Are…” The human uttered, staring up at them. How were they floating…? “Are those balloons made of clay…?”  
“Oh, yes. Everything in here is made of Clay. He’s rather useful.” Mad Doctor nodded. “Now, I must just go and get changed –” _Ping_! “Oh!” Mad Doctor gasped, flustered. “Goodness me, is that the oven already? Thirty minutes go by so quickly these days. I suppose a young one like you is used to it.” He chuckled, waving a dismissive hand. “You think I’m being silly, I imagine. Well, I am fond of the time today. It’s most efficient.”  
“It wasn’t thirty minutes…” The human mumbled.  
“Mama’s cake.” Clay grinned, licking his lips. “Mama’s space cake.”  
“Space cake…?” The human repeated. They watched at Mad Doctor approached the imaginary oven, and pulled open the door. Was it really a space cake? As in… drugs? “You shouldn’t eat –”

They stopped dead. Where… where had that come from? Out of the darkness, out of _thin air_ Mad Doctor had pulled out a beautiful cake – one that looked just like outer space. Ohhh. The human understood it now. “A space cake.” They smiled. That was pretty cool, actually. But where had it come from…? It wasn’t there before.  
“Needs decoration.” Clay said. 

The human watched as Clay placed his hand on his shoulder, and took out a chunk. Then he started playing with it. Moulding it… like clay. “Decoration.” Clay held the flesh out to Mad Doctor. The way he’d moulded it, it almost looked like a stick person. Except, it had no head… “Cake decoration.”  
“Oh…” Mad Doctor examined the object in Clay’s hand. “What is it supposed to be…?”  
“Mama.” Clay answered. “For Mama’s space cake.”  
“Oh – don’t be ridiculous!” Mad Doctor huffed. “If that’s your mother then where is her head?”  
“Human’s don’t have heads.” Clay replied.  
“They do if you don’t bite them off!” Mad Doctor barked. “Put a head on her.”

Clay shrugged, and obeyed. He took a small piece off himself, and gave his clay figure a head.  
“Mama.” He grinned.  
“Yes.” Mad Doctor smiled. “Lovely. Well. Put her on.” He held the cake out to Clay, allowing him to place the figure on top. “Excellent! Well, my boy…” Mad Doctor said. “I think we are done.”  
“Reward?” Clay piped. He was drooling again… The human became unnerved. Suddenly, they felt like they should be afraid. What was the reward…?  
“Oh…” Mad Doctor’s face fell. “Well… yes, I suppose it is time for that…” 

He turned towards the human child, his expression suddenly solemn. That wasn’t good… The human’s nerves grew, their heartbeat quickening… What was happening…? “Now, this is… this is terribly embarrassing.” Mad Doctor began. “But you see, Clay isn’t very good at… well, concentrating. It’s his mother’s birthday though you see, so he was rather insistent on helping out…” As he spoke the room became… darker. Not physically darker; that was impossible. It was the atmosphere… It was cold, all of a sudden. The human could sense danger. It was frightening… They had to get out. The human knew it. They had to escape! “But for his efforts, I did promise him a reward.” Mad Doctor laughed a little. “Well honestly, it was the only thing to stop him eating the buffet.”  
_“Reward…”_ Came a voice that sounded like Clay’s, but Clay wasn’t talking. He was just staring at the human, and grinning… and drooling… Licking his lips, and chuckling… _“Reward…”_ The voice was coming from above the human; there was more than one, all sounding the same. The human didn’t want to look up. They didn’t want to; they were afraid to… but they had to. They were determined to. _“Reward… reward…”_ Trembling, the human looked up, and gasped.

It was… the balloons. They had eyes! The human’s heart began pounding in their chest. They were too afraid to even scream. Each balloon was covered in glowing red eyes, all blinking and staring right down at them. They were laughing…  
“I… I’m afraid to say, my child.” Mad Doctor spoke. No… “The reward is you.”  
“ _ **Reward**_!”  
“ _ **Aaaaaaaaaa**_!”

Clay’s voice was shortly followed by the human’s scream, and the child tore through the darkness, desperately running from the monster Clay. He was going to eat them. The human was his food – **no**!  
“Reward… reward!” The balloons chanted all around them, their voices echoing all through the darkness. They came from all directions; as the human ran through the dark Void the balloons started to appear all around them, more and more. There were more balloons than Clay had even made, and they wouldn’t stop coming. How was this possible! “Reward! _**Reward**_!” The balloons chanted all around the human, their voices growing louder and louder as the human ran for their life. They could hear Clay’s footsteps behind them; they could hear his maniacal laughter and his heavy breathing. They could see nothing except the eyes of the balloons; the glowing red eyes were the only things visible in this endless darkness. Blinking and staring at the human, laughing and chanting. The human thought they would die. They were almost ready to give up when… they saw it. The door… 

Filled with determination, they human lunged forward, and threw the door open. They ran out of the room and slammed the door shut behind them, panting desperately against it. Their heart was racing. They were shaking. They were so afraid… but they’d made it. They’d survived. They’d survived… but they hadn’t saved the monsters’ souls. Maybe it was too dangerous after all… Maybe the human wasn’t strong enough yet. Maybe… they shouldn’t come back. As soon as their breath returned, the human ran away from the door, and got as far away from the Void as they could.

As the human fled, on the other side of the door, back inside the darkness of the Void, an unhappy Clay shuffled back to Mad Doctor. The balloons were floating above him, silently this time. They resumed their places in the darkness, and stared down at their master.  
“Did you catch him, my boy?” Mad Doctor questioned.  
“No.” Clay growled, and sat down. “Hungry.”  
“Don’t worry. She’ll be here soon, and then you can make a start on the buffet.” Mad Doctor said. He looked at Clay, and let out a sigh. “Oh, come now… I know you’re disappointed. I’m sorry you didn’t get your reward – but it’s for your mother! Now, what do we say to her when she arrives?”  
“Happy birthday.” Clay grumbled.  
_“Happy birthday.”_ The balloons chanted above him, blinking as they spoke.  
“Yes!” Mad Doctor exclaimed, clasping his hands together. “Wonderful! Now you practice that, I’ll go and fetch her present.”  
“Happy birthday…” Clay mumbled, burying himself underneath his blanket.  
_“Happy birthday. Happy birthday. Happy birthday.”_ The balloons repeated, all speaking at exactly the same time.  
“Happy birthday…” Clay uttered. “Noisy Mama.” He reached out from under the blanket to grab a low-flying balloon, and shoved it into his mouth while he waited for the party to begin.


End file.
